Lu Xuefeng was a person who couldn't find himself to be interested or liked anything in particular. He grew up learning how to take over his family's business, unlike the youngest, who roamed freely.
Once the position of the CEO fell into his hand, he continued to expand the business until they were an untouchable family. It became a given that he would be the next head of the Lu family, but he was missing a partner.
Lu Xuefeng's parents were always on the lookout, but as always, no one was able to win a little interest out of their son. Eventually, they did give up on him and turned their focus onto their youngest. Of course, Lu Weisheng wasn't going to sit around and be tied to a marriage of his parents choosing.
He always felt that something was missing in his life, and that was until the discovery of the hidden palace. Unfortunately, what he found couldn't completely fill in that missing hole. There was another piece missing, but he couldn't figure out what it could be.
"Crown prince!?"
A woman Lu Xuefeng never met before addressed him by that name. It was an unfamiliar and yet familiar way of calling him.
He wanted to ask for the woman's name, but she quickly ran away as if she encountered someone and said something she shouldn't have.
It didn't take long for him to discover that she was Yang Zheyan's betrothed.
At first, he wasn't going to attend Wen Yingyue's welcome back party, but it would have been regretful on his part if he didn't come. He witnessed Yang Zheyan's skin conditions not break out by a woman's touch. Something he would have heard about if Yang Zheyan did cure his disease.
Lu Xuefeng interested in Xiong Jingfei almost ended there until he saw the picture on Lu Weisheng's phone.
"Where did you get this drawing?"
"F-from Xiong Jingfei… She wanted me to find the hairpin of this drawing." Lu Weisheng immediately spilled everything to his brother. "Why? Hey-!"
Lu Xuefeng immediately headed to Yang Zheyan's house with many questions.
Did she draw the hairpin herself? Did someone leak out information on the other findings at the cursed palace? Even if someone knew that more items were found in that area, they wouldn't know how it looks. Even so, how was Xiong Jingfei able to draw the hairpin with such details?
When he got to Yang Zheyan's place, Xiong Jingfei wasn't there, but his effort wasn't fruitless.
When he saw the painting by Yang Zheyan, he didn't know why he could tell it was her, Xiong Jingfei. He only met her once, and she revealed her face for a few seconds to everyone at Wen Yingyue's party.
"Lu Xuefeng?"
Lu Xuefeng snapped out of his daydream and remembered the actual person was standing before him.
"What do you want in return for the drawing?" Xiong Jingfei asked, trying to strike a deal with him. "I don't have a lot of money, but… My fiance does? Err… How about it, future c-cousin-in-law?"
Lu Xuefeng quickly packed up the drawing and frowned, "Do you really think it's money that I want?"
Well, no! Xiong Jingfei complained in her heart. Money is the last thing you need! You rich bastard in both lifetimes.
"How about I throw a grand festival in your name?" Xiong Jingfei smiled brightly while Lu Xuefeng gave her a look that she had gone crazy. She dropped her smile, "I'm not crazy."
"No." Lu Xuefeng rejected, although he was interested in what her next proposal was going to be.
"How about this… I can tell you how I know about the existence of the butterfly hairpin?"
This proposal caught his attention, and something about the way she looked at him was as if she actually knows.
"Interested?" Xiong Jingfei raised an eyebrow and smiled proudly. "I can even spare a little of my time to tell you a story. Doesn't that sound like a good deal?"
Was she testing his patience? Lu Xuefeng couldn't believe she thought it was a good enough deal. She was asking to trade an ancient artifact for a little history and a mere story!? If he gave in, he was the losing party to the deal!
"Fine."
"I- Oh! You said fine!" Xiong Jingfei clapped her hands together. "Great! I need another 'small' thing from you to throw you that festival."
Lu Xuefeng frowned, "I don't need a festival."
"Don't be so quick to reject it." Xiong Jingfei smirked with a glint in her eyes. "It's a festival you won't regret."
Lu Xuefeng had a bad feeling that there was more to it than what she was giving him. However, his mouth moved faster than his mind, as he agreed with hesitation, "S-sure."
"Oh, you're the best cousin-in-law!" Xiong Jingfei excitedly laughed. "Please just loan me the land that is owned by you and my lovely fiance."
"Aren't you pushing your luck, cousin-in-law?" Lu Xuefeng glared at her and spoke to her in his threatening business-like voice. The land owned by both families, there was one and only, the cursed forest. "Even if you're Yang Zheyan's fiance-"
"Fine, you don't have to give me permission."
Xiong Jingfei flipped her hair and made a dramatic turn as if she didn't care. He would've scared anyone off with that 'uncaring' tone, but she was used to it after hearing it so many times.
['I can have those hands chopped off.']
['With a single word, I can have your head.']
Blah, blah, blah! Xiong Jingfei heard many more things coming from that mouth of his in the past.
"Oh!" Xiong Jingfei stopped and looked back. "In return, I was going to give you some history on the other things you found at that place."
She proceeds to the door while counting down. Three, two, one…
"Wait."
Xiong Jingfei smiled but dropped it as she turned around. She didn't want to make herself look so eager to Lu Xuefeng.
"How much more do you know?" Lu Xuefeng's glaring eyes didn't let up for a second. Then he suddenly gave her a chilling yet dashing grin, "If you can tell me something interesting... I might just give you permission. You have to give me at least something to meet you halfway."
"Sure," Xiong Jingfei agreed and made quick steps towards him until she was right next to his ears. "I also heard that other voice too."
Lu Xuefeng flinched and turned his head towards her. Their faces were so close to each other, but she wasn't fl.u.s.tered like how he felt. Instead, she smiled and confirmed the words he thought he hallucinated.
Your highness.
"I'll be waiting for your answer, Lu Xuefeng." Xiong Jingfei was about to close the door, "By the way, it's alright for you to say you're not fine when you're not."